Semaphore for automobile and like traffic



Sept. 15. 1925. 1,553,730 c. TAYLOR g SEMAFHORE FOR AUTOMOBILE AND LIKE TRAFFIC 7 Filed Feb. 9, 1922 E591. "'1 STOP iiWINIlllllllflllllllllllllllilllllllllfl 1%.3 E; we 5v 1 II S T Ii 8 ll\NWIIHHIMIIHllllllfllmlllllill 9 "9 Invenibr: Chas 6 Tag Z0 2",-

Patented Sept. 15, 1925.

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I SEKAIHOBE FOB AUTOMOBILE AND LIKE TRAFFIC. l-

Applieation filed February 8, 1922. Serial No. 585,190. I

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, Cnasn Tarwn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Washington, District of Columbia, have invented an Improvement in Semaphores for Automobile and like Traflic, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates particularly to semaphoresfor automobile or other vehicular traffic, but is not limited thereto exclusively.

In order that the principle of the invention may be readily understood, I have disclosed a single embodiment thereof in the accompanyingv drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the complete semaphore showing the Stop signal;

Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. 1 of the upper portion of the semaphore, the signal having been changed as indicated;

Fig. 3 is a view of the upper portion of the semaphore partly in elevation and partly in vertical section; and

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the receptacle of the semaphore. I

I have chosen to represent my invention in its simplest embodiment and as applied to a street semaphore for regulating or directing automobile or other vehicular traffic. It is, however, to be understood that the invention may be embodied in other types of street semaphoresfor regulating or directing traffic and even in certain cases in other types of semaphores for directing other traflic, such, for example,as railroad traflic. My invention, however, is peculiarly applicable to the regulation of street trafiic as will be evident from the following description.

No less than four per cent of people are color-blind. This fact is not of serious consequences in the case of railroad traiiic, because engineers are very carefully examined for this defect and are not permitted to run railroad trains if so afflicted, although reexaminations show that railroad employees have become color blind subsequent to their passing examination, such color bliudnem occurring because of abuse of coffee, alcohol and other causes. In the case of automobile or other vehicles, however, the fact is ofserious importance because licenses are granted to almost everyone who can run an automolicenses are notrequired. I am aware that in a common type of street semaphore the four vanes which are arranged at right angles to each other are distinguished as to the Stop and Go signals, ingthat two of said vanes placed '180 degrees apart have notched ends, whereas theiother two vanes have rounded ends. Moreover, two of such vanes are painted red and two are painted green. Such a semaphore, however, is of no value at night, since it is not provided with a light. P

An important object. of my invention is to provide a semaphore or similar signal provided with a light, the appearance of which independent of the color will produce such an effect upon erson whether or not he or she be color-blin as to cause such person to obey the signal because conscious, from an inspection of the signal, what is in dicated, and without being compelled to draw up to one side of the street or let other the wak thereof. i

The foregoing ob ect 1s accomplished in a simple manner by providing a receptacle for traffic take preference and then follow in the light with four transparenciesupon the four faces, respectively, the transparencies not only being differently colored but differently shaped, so that a person afilicted with color-blindness and hence-not recog nizing or knowing the color-will neverthethe shape of the transparencies.

Referring to that single embodiment-of the invention herein. represented, thebase of the semaphore is indicated at 1 and the upright or post is indicated at} 2. Upon the upper end of the member 2 is supported a receptacle 3 in such a way'thatitinay less be controlled in his or her actions by be turned from time to' tim'e by 'thetra'fiic ofiicer. This may bedone by attachingto the under side of the receptacle3 -"therod 4: within the upright or post'2' and-{extending to some suitablepoiiitwhere it ispro; vided with a handle 5 protruding-througli a suitable slot 6, so" that' 'thesignalymay be turned in the usual manner; D'esirfably but not necessarlly the-receptacle QisrelatWely narrow 111 one dimension, as is evident from two broader faces is preferably pl'aced an indicating word, such as the word Stop, and upon the two narrower faces is placed the word Go, or if desired this arrangement may be reversed, but obviously the lon er word Stop is more appropriate y used upon the wider faces. Assuming, however, that the broader faces have the Stop signal, I provide in each of said broad faces an opening 7, which differs markedly in'shape from the openings 8 upon the narrower faces. In the construction referred to, the openings 7 have red transparencies, such as red glass, and the openings 8 have green transparencies, such as green glass. The openings 7 are of relatively great'breadth as compared with their height, and the openings 8 are of relatively great height as compared with their breadth. This produces such characteristically different effects that any person seeing the lights through the transparencies is controlled by and responds to the shape of the transparencies, as well as by the color of the light. If such person be color-blind, his or her mind responds automatically to the shape of the transparencies. Obviously, if some other shape of receptacle or container 3 be provided the shapes of the openings 7, 8 may be varied, but in all cases the Stop and Go openings contrast in shape markedly with each other.

Desirably I provide shields or screens 9,

one being herein shown as each upright edge of the receptacle or container 3, so that the color effects through the openings 7, 8 will not become merged or blended in such a way as to confuse persons who are not color-blind, and also so that only the intended signal shall be seen.

My invention is not limited to the use of. shields or screens, as will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

I have stated that my invention is particularly useful in the control of night tral'fic, because of cases of color-blindness. My invention, however, is not wholly restricted to such use, since it is evident that the signalling areas 7, 8 are. so characteristically dilferentthat they impress themselves upon a person in the daytime if he or she be nearsighted or not near enough to the signal to determine whether the Stop or Go word is exposed to his or her view. It is evident that in such cases the relatively broad area 7 will quickly catch the sight of anyone and will convey to that person a certain impression which will be different from the impression conveyed by the relatively narrow area 8. As stated, I have disclosed herein but a single embodiment of the invention. In cases of railway or like traffic, it wouldbe unnecessary to have the different shaped openings in different faces. In such cases, they might be in the same face or in two faces which are back to back or parallel. In my copending application, Serial No. 612,165, filed January 12, 1923, and which is a continuation in part of the present application, other means embodying one form of my invention is disclosed and claimed.

Having thus described one illustrative embodiment of my invention, I desire it to be understood that although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims.

Claims- 1. A semaphore or like signalling device having a receptacle or container adapted to receive a light, said container having a plurality of pairs of opposed. faces, the faces of one pair being arranged at an angle to those of the adjacent pair, each face having an opening through which the light is exposed, said openings of a given pair of faces being similarly shaped and having similarly colored transparencies but contrasting in shape and in color with the openings and transparencies .of the remaining faces.

2. A semaphore or like signalling device for vehicular traflic having a four-sided receptacle adaptedto receive a light and adapted to be turned, two opposite sides of the receptacle being broader than the other two sides, the broader sides having light exposing openings therein which are relatively broad as compared with their height, and the narrower side having light exposing openings therein which are relatively narrow as compared with their height for the purpose set forth.

3. A semaphore or like signalling device for vehicular traflic having a four-sided receptacle adapted to receive a light and adapted to'be turned, two opposite sides of the receptacle being broader than the other two sides, the broader sides having light exposing openings therein, which are relatively broad as compared with their height andthe narrower side having light exposing openings therein which are relatively narrow as compared with theirheight, said openings having colored transparencies differing as to the shapes of the openings.

4. A semaphore or like signalling device for vehicular traffic having a box-like member adapted to be turned and having four faces each having an indicating signal thereon, two opposite faces being broader than the remaining faces and the signals thereon differing in shape from the signal upon each of the narrower faces.

5. A semaphore or like signalling device for vehicular traffic having a box-like member adapted to be turned and having four faces, two opposite faces being broader than the two remaining faces, said broader faces each having a trafiic controlling word and also having a relatively large area constituting a traffic controllin signal or s mbol and the narrower faces havin a di ering trafiic controlling word and a so having a relatively large area constituting a' traffic controlling signal or symbol, said signals or symbols of the narrower faces markedly contrasting in shape with those of the broader faces.

6. A semaphore or like signalling device .for trafiic having means to receive a light,

said semaphore having two openings for the display of light, said openings markedly contrasting in shape for the purpose set forth and means for causing said light to ings through which the light is exposed,

said openings having contrastingly colored transparencies and being contrastingly shaped for the purpose set forth and means for causing said light to be displayedin a given direction from either of said openings alternately or at will.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

CHASE TAYLOR. 

